Ames, IA

Census Place

2024 Population

67,669

US Senator

Chuck Grassley

Republican Party

US Senator

Joni Ernst

Republican Party

2024 Poverty Rate

25.5%

1.77% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$60,991

1.48% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$277,400

5.16% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

38,134

Population & Diversity

Ames, IA is home to a population of 67.7k people, from which 92.3% are citizens.

As of 2024, 11.6% of Ames, IA residents were born outside of the country (7.86k people).

In 2024, there were 8.24 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (52k people) in Ames, IA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 6.31k Asian (Non-Hispanic) and 2.58k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

92.3%

2024 Citizenship

92.9%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 92.3% of Ames, IA residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Ames, IA was 92.9%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Ames, IA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Ames, IA

White (Non-Hispanic)
52k ± 604
Asian (Non-Hispanic)
6.31k ± 528
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
2.58k ± 271

5.14%

Hispanic Population

3.48k people

5.14% of the people in Ames, IA are hispanic (3.48k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Ames, IA as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for Iowa.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
44,333 ± 5,134 people
India
11,889 ± 2,672 people
Guatemala
8,189 ± 2,219 people

In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Iowa was Mexico, the natal country of 44,333 Iowa residents, followed by India with 11,889 and Guatemala with 8,189.

Foreign-Born Population

11.6%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

7.86k people

10.9%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

7.21k people

As of 2024, 11.6% of Ames, IA residents (7.86k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Ames, IA was 10.9%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Ames, IA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (2001-)
609 ± 283
Vietnam
569 ± 156
Gulf War (1990s)
120 ± 70

Ames, IA has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 1.07 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Ames, IA.

Economy

The economy of Ames, IA employs 38.1k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Ames, IA were Educational Services (10,825 people), Retail Trade (4,679 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (4,185 people), and the highest paying industries were Public Administration ($72,538), Utilities ($69,643), and Manufacturing ($51,431).

Employment

Occupations

38.1k

2024 Value

± 1,521

6.54%

1 Year growth

± 5.39%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Ames, IA grew at a rate of 6.54%, from 35.8k employees to 38.1k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Ames, IA, are Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (5,831 people), Food Preparation & Serving Related Occupations (3,732 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (3,465 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Ames, IA.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Iowa.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Iowa (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

38.1k

2024 Value

± 1,521

6.54%

1 Year growth

± 5.39%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Ames, IA grew at a rate of 6.54%, from 35.8k employees to 38.1k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Ames, IA, are Educational Services (10,825 people), Retail Trade (4,679 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (4,185 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Ames, IA, though some of these residents may live in Ames, IA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$32,783

Median earning men ± $3,893

$22,915

Median earning women ± $2,237

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Public Administration ($73,221), Manufacturing ($53,411), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($49,182).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Construction ($120,111), Public Administration ($69,063), and Manufacturing ($40,833).

Education

The student population of Ames, IA in 2024 is skewed towards men, with 16,530 male students and 14,026 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Ames, IA are White (5,656 and 77.6%), Unknown (582 and 7.98%), Two or More Races (327 and 4.48%), and Asian (301 and 4.13%).

The largest universities in Ames, IA by number of degrees awarded are Iowa State University (7,793 and 98.5%) and PCI Academy-Ames (121 and 1.53%).

The most popular majors in Ames, IA are Mechanical Engineering (369 and 4.66%), General Marketing & Marketing Management (270 and 3.41%), and Information Technology (249 and 3.15%).

The median tuition cost for a public four year colleges is $9,252 for in-state students and $27,346 for out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2024 in Ames, IA, the percentage of applicants admitted was 88.7%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 28.8%. The number of students enrolled in 2024 was 30,556 (54.1% men and 45.9% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2024 there were 30,556 students enrolled in Ames, IA, 54.1% men and 45.9% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 21,254 records, of which 46.5% were women and 53.5% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Mechanical Engineering
369 degrees awarded
General Marketing & Marketing Management
270 degrees awarded
Kinesiology & Exercise Science
235 degrees awarded

In 2024, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Ames, IA was Mechanical Engineering with 369 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Ames, IA according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Iowa State University
7,793 degrees awarded
PCI Academy-Ames
121 degrees awarded

In 2024, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Iowa State University with 7,793 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2024, 4,081 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Ames, IA, which is 1.06 times more than the 3,833 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2024, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 5,656 degrees mean that there were 9.72 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Unknown, with 582 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Public, 4-year or above ($9,252) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2024.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,535) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2024.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,091) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Ames, IA was $277,400 in 2024, which is 0.834 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $263,800 to $277,400, a 5.16% increase. The homeownership rate in Ames, IA is 42.1%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Ames, IA have an average commute time of 15.6 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Ames, IA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$277,400

Median Property Value 2024

±$9,482

$10,851

Median Property Taxes

±$635

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Ames, IA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Ames, IA compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

42.1%

Homeownership

2024

68.2%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 42.1% of the housing units in Ames, IA were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 42.9%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Ames, IA compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$60,991

Median Household Income

± $1,892

25.8k

Number of Households

± 1,256

In 2024, the median household income of the 25.8k households in Ames, IA grew to $60,991 from the previous year's value of $60,102.

The following chart displays the households in Ames, IA distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Ames, IA is from Iowa.

0.435

2024 Wage GINI in Iowa

0.441

2023 Wage GINI in Iowa

In 2024, the income inequality in Iowa was 0.435 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 1.29% decline from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Iowa was lower than than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Iowa in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Iowa across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (62.5%)
Worked At Home (12.1%)
Walked (10.2%)

In 2024, 62.5% of workers in Ames, IA drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (12.1%) and those who walked to work (10.2%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

15.6 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Ames, IA have a shorter commute time (15.6 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 0.951% of the workforce in Ames, IA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Ames, IA compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Ames, IA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Ames, IA have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

25.5% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Ames, IA (14.1k out of 55.2k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Males 18 - 24, followed by Females 18 - 24 and then Males 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Ames, IA is White, followed by Asian and Two Or More.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798, followed by New York (5,087).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

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